Pol 'Tebows' after bill Ok'd

Virginia Del. Robert Bell celebrated his bill passing the state House on Wednesday by taking a knee and Tebowing.

The legislation — dubbed the “Tebow bill” for the Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow — would allow the state’s homeschooled students the chance to play sports at their local high school like the NFL star did in Florida.

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Bell, a Republican, said he’s pleased the new nickname has brought the legislation more fans. “We’re happy with whatever help there is,” he said.

“The name became a shorthand, and now all the homeschool kids call it that,” he told POLITICO. “After we passed it, I did the Tebow on the floor.”

For those not familiar with the term, Tebowing pays tribute to the quarterback’s now famous touchdown pose and is defined as “to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different.”

While he’s not responsible for giving the bill its moniker, Bell said Tebow “seems like a nice young man.”

Bell has introduced the bill for three years running now, adopting it from another delegate who began proposing it in 2005.

“I bet we were working on it when Tebow was in high school,” Bell said.

But this year, Bell said he has faith it could finally become law — it passed the Virginia House of Delegates 59 to 39 on Wednesday, and Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell has said he would sign the bill into law if it makes it through the state Senate.

Across the country, 32 states have similar Tebow-style laws allowing homeschoolers to participate in public high school activities. Tebow, who was homeschooled by his mother, started off playing tight end and linebacker for one season at Trinity Christian Academy before switching schools to play quarterback at Nease High School.

For Bell, passing this bill means thousands of Virginia kids will get a shot at playing for a team, just like Tebow did in Florida.

“Every year we don’t do it, some 17-year-old never gets to play under the lights on Friday,” he said. “Let’s let them try out.”